Improvement in lip-shields



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@sind @wie EItASTUS C. PHILB'RICIL'OF BATH, MAINE.

Letters Patent No. 96,953, dated November 16, 1869.

MPROVEMENT IN LIP-SHIELDS.

Q-*QM- The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

Herv- The annoyance and inconvenience, not to say un cleanliness, of the present mode of dyeing a persons moustache'and beard are now so generally felt, thatany device which shall afford protection against such results, will be appreciated and used.

As the dyes now used are applied to the beard or moustache without any means oi' insuring the skin against heilig acted upon by them, the skin, as a consequence,l becomes `more or less discoloredl To erase this disfignraton, liquids are employed which are injurious to the euticle in many respects, and which often, if not invariably, cause sore lips in the effort to remove discoloration, caused by the dye which comes in contact with them, and which heretofore could not be avoided.

The object of this invention is to obviate these ohjections, by entirely preventing the dye from coming in contact with the skin; and consists in the cmploynient of a plate, of any suitable material, of ay semieylindrical shape, which is inserted between the hair and skin, and so as to present a perfect barrier to the contact ofthe dye with the skin below it.

The drawings accompanying this specification illustrate, at a., an oblong plate, of any suitable material, which may be found to answer the purpose, such plate, in practice, being about twelve inches long.

This plate, in cross-section, is semi-cylindrical ,or curved, the width of ,such plate, as well as its curvature, being proportioned or adjusted to a persons mouth.

.lhe upper end of this plate is pushed under the moustache or beard closely to its roots, and lying upon the persons face. y

Dye may now be applied expeditiously and with little care, as any excess will fall upon the shield or plate a, and not trickle through or be rubbed upon the skin, whether of the face or lips, as is now the case.

The plate a may have colnbined with it one or more Aplates b, of greater width, in order to accommodate larger moustaches, this'auxiliary plate b being connected with the former by means of a slot, c, and set- 'screw ll, the two heilig laid one upon the other, the

set-screw and slot allowing either plate to project, as may be desired.

The number of plates may be increased, but two will undoubtedly be found sufiicient, if not superfluous.-

I would remark that it may be found, in practice,-

desirable to scrrate the upper end of' each plate, in orderto facilitate its entrance between the skin and hair, and to form a more perfect protection to the skin of the face and lips.

By means of' my invention, the operation of' dyeing the moustache may be effected in muclrless time than at present, since the protection it affords to the skin enables the workman to apply the dye very expeditiously, without danger to the face, thus doing away with the greatest obstacle now in the way of' coloring hair artificially.

In addition to. saving of time, the cleanliness of my invention, as well as the immunity it aiiords the skin against contact with, and discoloration by the coloring luid, ,will recommend themselves to all intelligent people, and to all who artificially color their hair.

WVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A lip-protector, composed of two or more adj ustable curved shields,- of' different sizes, united and connected in the manner and by the means substantially as herein shown and described.

Witnesses: ERASIUS C. PHILBRICK.

FRED. Gnarls, EDWARD GRIFFITH.

the lip or other parts of 

